Sunday, November 27, 2011

I'm getting ready for a busy couple of weeks! First up is Halifax Crafters Yule Tide Cheer Winter Market at the Olympic Centre in Halifax. I'm super excited to have a fun crafty weekend with all my crafty friends and to show off all this fun new stuff I've been working on! Check out the Halifax Crafters blog for updates and sneak peaks at new things our crafters are getting ready!

The following weekend is the opening of my show at the Black Duck Gallery here in Lunenburg County! 'Tales from the valley, through the forest to the shore' is a collection of new printed works inspired by my life and travels through Nova Scotia. The show runs from December 10th - 31st, with the opening reception on December 11th from 2 - 4 pm. Hope to see you there!

Friday, October 28, 2011

I'm back in the studio big time these days. With Halifax Crafters winter market and a solo show at The Black Duck in Lunenburg, both coming up in December I have a lot to get done. Lucky me, I have four brand new big screens to do it with!

I might be gaining access to a light table to shoot my screens with soon which is a huge relief. Right now the sun is my primary exposure unit and it can be cloudy for days here in Lunenburg County leaving my studio work at a stand still. However, when there is a spot of sunshine it is incredibly satisfying to shoot a screen in the sun.

This is my set up: I use a pane of glass to hold the designs tight to the screen and stuff a piece of foam covered in black fabric behind the screen to stop any light reflecting. I carry the screen out in a garbage bag and when the sun looks right I pull it off and start exposing. My exposure time is around 30 to 40 seconds, depending on the strength of the sun.

After 40 seconds I then frantically run and hide in the shade behind my favorite forsythia bush, remove the design (I've learned how crucial it is to fold over my tape ends for quick removal) and rinse the screen out with my garden hose.

However, once the snow flies I lose my garden hose and this system gets a lot more complicated. Bring on the exposure table!

Monday, May 2, 2011

I am fortunate enough to have a day off after a long weekend at the wonderful halifax crafters market. It was a pretty fantastic weekend. Getting out to see all of the marvelous creations by my fellow crafters makes it worth it every time. Today I'm just unpacking, organizing and let's be honest, catching up on a world of housework I neglected leading up to the market!

Not the best pic, but here is a little shot of my mountain of pillows and other goodies available at the market.

I stayed overnight in Halifax Saturday and had a chance to spend some quality time with a few friends I don't see often enough these days. Though my birthday was in March they surprised me with a mini birthday celebration. Lots of sugar, a vegan birthday cupcake from Susie Shortbreads and jelly belly beans which hastened my post-market crash. I was asleep on the couch by 10pm.

I also left with this beauty of a gift! It is a waving Queen, powered by a solar panel in her purse! I think she looks pretty spectacular next to my african violet granny plant. This is also the best use of a doily I've found.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

I've been going a little crazy working on this piece hoping to have it finished in time to show at the upcoming halifax crafters market. Here's a little sneaky peak.

I've been inspired by the local community suppers that are everywhere in Lunenburg County. I decided that a souvenir tablecloth was the perfect fit.

This piece took around 11 hours to print and is comprised of 16 two-colour prints. The next time I realize that I'm working on a design that needs 8 separate screens I'm either going to have to talk myself out of it or go and buy some seriously bigger screens!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Over the christmas holidays I packed this heavy duty wonder in my suitcase and brought it back with me from Ontario. It was my Nana's machine and it still runs beautifully. I don't think you can ever go wrong with a husqvarna.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Well, it's that time again. Just under a month til the next halifax crafters show and I'm back in the studio cracking the whip. I'm continually inspired by the lovely community that surrounds me and this means a whole ton of new design ideas are pouring out of me. Fingers crossed I can get them onto fabric in time for the show!

I'm starting with the little things. Happy stacks of happy hearts ready to be sewn.

More stacking; my new studio 'tidying' method. The studio is tidy-ish for now. Hopefully I can keep it that way.